The tense NCIS standoff between Mark Harmon and Don Bellisario that I first told you about two weeks ago has ended as dramatically as it began: Sources confirm that the veteran producer has agreed to step down as showrunner, effective immediately. I hear he'll likely be replaced by co-executive producer (and longtime Bellisario collaborator) Chas. Floyd Johnson and headwriter Shane Brennan. As NCIS' creator, Bellisario will still retain his executive producer title (much like AS-P did on Gilmore Girls), but he is no longer in charge of the show. He's not leaving CBS, however. (Lucky them!) He'll develop two new projects as part of his overall deal with the network.As I reported, insiders say Harmon has been frustrated for some time with the long hours that resulted from Bellisario's "chaotic management style." And in mid-April, things came to a boil."Mark's been working every single day, 16 hours a day," the mole told me. "Don tries to micro-manage everything. Script pages get faxed...
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Mark Harmon by Cliff Lipson/CBS
Wondering why I've been skimping on the NCIS scoopage all these years? Well, I've been holding out for a biggie. And here it is:Multiple sources confirm that Mark Harmon is embroiled in a tense standoff with NCIS executive producer Don Bellisario, with Harmon apparently threatening to walk. CBS declined comment, but an insider says Harmon has been unhappy for some time over Bellisario's "chaotic management style," and simply became fed up."Mark's been working every single day, 16 hours a day," whispers one source. "[Don] tries to micro-manage everything. Script pages get faxed to the set at the last minute, and Mark is tired of dealing with the huge impact that makes on his life. He doesn't have time for his family or anything when he's working hours like that."It's unclear what impact the feud is having on the show's production schedule — technically speaking, Harmon has yet to miss a day of work — but my spy describes it as a "big standoff." "Mark is one of the best-beha...
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Many people may not know this, but shooting an NCIS episode is a lot of hard work and the schedule is absolutely crazy! But all that said, I have to say it is also one of my favorite things to do. I get to hang out and "play" with my friends, and laugh between takes with some of the funniest and silliest characters I have ever met. We shot the April 17 episode, "Once a Hero," a long time ago, and when I say a long time ago it may very well be two to three months ago. You lose perspective of time when you shoot, and I think all of us in the cast will agree with that statement. It has turned into a joke between us. As far as the episode goes, I don't remember the plot as much as I remember what happened behind the scenes. We shot part of this story in a hotel, somewhere close to the airport. I remember we were all wearing our "nice" secret-agent clothing, which in my case was a black skirt, a jacket, and a pair of heels, and my hair was sleeked back into a very clean ponytail. We were...
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Question: Do you know how many more years, if any, Mark Harmon has left on his contract? NCIS is my favorite show because it is very well written and because Mark Harmon's character has so much depth. Most of the episodes are not as violent as the Law & Orders or CSIs, so it is a little easier to watch. We love NCIS and would still watch it even if Gibbs left.
Answer: You've got nothing to worry about, as far as I know. I certainly haven't heard anything to indicate he's considering an exit strategy. I have no inside knowledge of his deal with CBS, but stars like Mark Harmon are usually locked into at least a seven-year contract, and given how successful NCIS is, I'd bet they've sweetened his deal considerably since the show premiered four seasons ago ...
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NCIS' Mark Harmon, Susanna Thompson
On Nov. 7 (postponed from its previously announced airdate of Oct. 24), Susanna Thompson (Once and Again, The Book of Daniel) pops up on CBS' NCIS (Tuesdays at 8 pm/ET) as an Army investigator who catches the attention (or is that a-tenn-shun?) of special agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs (Mark Harmon). The versatile actress recently took a call from TV Guide to discuss what may blossom into a full-fledged love affair for Harmon's oft-taciturn, coffee-addicted character.
TV Guide: Cranky-pants Gibbs in love? Will
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Question: Do you have any news on NCIS? Is Gibbs (Mark Harmon) coming back? He has to.
Answer: Well, look at that — you just answered your own question! Loyalty to a former team member in distress will pry Gibbs out of his self-imposed retirement. In the season-opener, Ziva (Cote de Pablo) is accused of being a spy. Apparently, the evidence is so compelling, even her fellow special agents waffle. The only one who believes her — unconditionally — is Gibbs, who owes his life to her. (You'll recall that Ziva shot and killed her brother only seconds before he was going to off Gibbs.)
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Question: Is Izzie gone for good from Grey's Anatomy? I heard a rumor a major player from the cast would be leaving the show at the end of the season, but didn't pay much attention. Will they try and get her back? (From the reaction of the doctors when she announced that she quit, it looked like they accepted her quitting without issue.)
Answer: Just because she's quitting the surgical program doesn't mean she's quitting the show. (Same goes for Mark Harmon's character resigning from NCIS.) The writers had a very dramatic, even traumatic, plan in mind for Izzie, and, as usual on this show, bad decisions come with dire consequences. I have no idea how she will continue to interact and work with her friends, but I can't wait to find out.
On another Grey's front, Erin declares: "It seems like I'm the only one who's happy about Grey's Anatomy moving to Thursdays. I've never been into the stale procedurals, so Thursday has been a dead night for TV in my home for quite some time. Grey's
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Question: TV Swami, after watching the finale of NCIS, please tell me that Mark Harmon is not leaving the show! He's the core of the cast. Thanks for all the great scoops!
Answer: Mark Harmon is not leaving the show. As Michael Weatherly told TV Guide's Mary Murphy, "He's the spine of the show. Without him it's a show about jellyfish. We need our spine."
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Question: Can I please have some NCIS scoop, poop, prattle!?
Answer: The rumors are true. Exec producer Don Bellisario confirms that "at the end of the season someone will be leaving NCIS." (And before you ask, I don't know who it is.) Meanwhile, here's a little Mark Harmon prattle. We're going to get a rare glimpse of his '80s stint on Flamingo Road when They Started on Soaps 6 airs in May on SoapNet.
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Question: Just one lousy NCIS spoiler last week? And it wasn't even two lines. You've got to have more than that.
Answer: You got me. I had two. Here's the other one: The real director of NCIS, David Brant — who recently announced his plans to retire in December — just shot a cameo in which he interacts with Mark Harmon's Gibbs.
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